Missing
by JustAnotherNinetiesBitch
Summary: The missing Bartlet scenes during Zoey's abduction. Set between "Twenty-Five" and "Jefferson Lives".
1. Shattered To Pieces

**Hour 1**

The crystal tumbler smashed to the floor and its shards drowned in the amber liquid that it had once contained.

Jed looked directly toward his wife of nearly forty years and his electric-blue eyes darkened, as did hers in reaction. Any words of reassurance whispered into his ear from either Leo or Ron were of little consequence to him, at that moment. He needed to tell her. She had to hear it from him.

"Jed?" By now, he had inadvertently demanded a captive audience and all eyes in the room focused on him. But it was hers, that he tended to first. Glass crunched beneath his feet, as he ambled toward his wife and stretched out both hands for her to hold. Lines of worry became etched upon her forehead, the possibilities were endless but whatever bad news Leo had delivered was most certainly not a matter of national security, or Jed would have flown from the room quicker than she could say 'terrorist threat'.

"Zoey's been taken." The three words any mother prayed she would never hear escaped Jed's lips before he had the opportunity to soften the blow they dealt.

"Mr. President, we need you in the Sit. Room." Barely five seconds passed, in order for Abbey to process the information, before Leo made his respectful but insistent request. Beside him, Ron Butterfield looked stoic as ever while he listened in to the intel delivered via his earpiece.

In spite of his reluctance to leave her alone, Jed forcefully pressed his lips to Abbey's forehead and dashed from the room, with Leo and Ron in his wake. His sudden exit caused her knees to buckle and Abbey almost let them collapse beneath her but she steadied herself with an arm that reached forward. The shadows that surrounded her had become mere blurred outlines of a human-form, no depth to their appearance and their words of concern resembled that of a dull buzz in her ear. "I need to call Liz." Her hand clutched onto whoever's arm had aided her balance like that of a vice and she inched forward in baby-steps, with no particular destination in mind.


	2. Heartbeat

**Hour 1**

The soulful beat of a classic Janet Jackson hit from 1987 vibrated within the bathroom of Ellie Bartlet's Baltimore apartment.

Hours earlier, her baby sister had made her official entrance into adulthood. Unfortunately, medical school had proven itself to be as much a demand as her mother had warned, and Ellie had been unable to attend the Bartlet family celebration. She did, however, convey her pride over the phone to both her parents and sister and promised to have her own celebration in Baltimore in Zoey's honour. What followed was a warm bubble bath, a bottle of wine for one and the Jackson princess' hits on disc.

In her own world, Ellie sunk her body into the tub but remained cautious not to dampen her platinum curls, which were meticulously piled onto of her head. The new hair colour had been an impulsive decision, on the heels of a break-up, but Ellie quickly learned that many of her family and friends preferred the blonde. She hummed to the tune that played, blissfully unaware of the urgent knock at the door she had locked. She had every confidence in her security detail, she had even struck out her comfort zone and befriended him, after she reached the conclusion that his presence would be a constant in her life for yet another four years, but there were certain moments of privacy that Ellie wasn't quite prepared to relinquish - and a lock on her bathroom door was one of them.

She raised the bottle of wine to her lips and devoured the drink, which had been marked low in alcohol percent, and silently praised Zoey's accomplishment. In a whirlwind-like effect, the door burst open and her security detail dominated the doorway, his weapon drawn. "Ryan!" Ellie almost choked, with only the bubbles to protect her modesty. Fortunately, the intruder in question appeared too preoccupied to notice her scramble for the nearest towel.

"Heartbeat is secured." Ryan confirmed, once he had surveyed the steam-filled room.

His use of her secret-service codename and action-time expression unnerved Ellie and she wrapped the towel around her body before she stood to his attention. "What happened?"

Ryan reached for the bathrobe that hung on the door he had thrust open. "It's your sister, Zoey."


	3. Leader of the Free World

**Hour 1**

Leader of the Free World. It was an ambitious title but Jed had shouldered the burden well. He had constructed the perfect balance between private and public, careful not to allow the role to overshadow his role as father and husband. But, as he strayed from the Situation Room, father and husband was what he had been reduced to.

His quick pace to the Residence matched the accumulation of panic-stricken ideas that formulated in his brain. Whether Zoey would be harmed depended on what her abductors would request, which, predominantly, depended on who her abductors were. In the next few hours, the demands would surely flood in. Some would probably manipulate the catastrophe to their own advantage but Jed could only hope that Fitzwallace and his team had the capacity to snuff out the vultures from the credible threats.

As he entered the bedroom, Jed discovered his wife at the tail end of her phone call. "I love you too, sweetheart." She replaced the phone to its hook and raised her free hand to her mouth, in an effort to maintain composure for no one in particular. The horror of what had happened still overwhelmed her but she could thank God for small mercies that the rest of her family were safe and Zoey's abduction had been the only attack.

"Abbey?" Jed's low rumble snatched her attention and she fell into his arms. They stood, in silence, for what felt like an eternity. It was the first time they had seen one another since Jed had made his mad scramble to the Situation Room to assess the state of national security, and Abbey had been left isolated. The warmth of another human shattered the final walls of defence Abbey relied on and she allowed herself to cry. Her pitchy wail, like that of a child, threatened his resolve and Jed walked her to the bed. "The airports have been shut down, the roads are blocked. Fitzwallace thinks it may be an attack but McNally isn't convinced." In the middle of any crisis, Abbey liked facts. She was a practical woman and facts allowed her to assess the situation for herself, to consider every possible outcome. There was only one outcome she couldn't bear to comprehend.

His lips caressed her cheek, the saltiness of her bitter tears a taste he would likely remember forever. Abbey lowered her head further and pressed into his chest, his steady heartbeat her only sense of calm since all hell had broke loose. "Jed…"

"We'll find her, Abbey."


	4. Protocol

**Hour 2**

"No, that won't be necessary." Abbey adamantly refused the offer from Admiral Hackett.

"Abbey." Jed's voice was somewhat forceful, and his expression stern. He should have known his wife would refuse the sedative. Given that she was a doctor herself, the Admiral couldn't even confuse her with technical terms to overrule her decision but it had been worth the effort. Her blood pressure had flown to the sky and Jed had noticed that some of her breaths were delivered in a manner that could only be described as sketchy. Still, she had insisted she remain alert and conscious in the most crucial hours, for Zoey's sake.

The look of defiance Abbey met her husband with was the final straw for Admiral Hackett, who knew better than to provoke his patient. "I'll be on duty for the next few hours. If you should decide otherwise, all you have to do is call, ma'am." He purposely looked toward Amy, who helped Abbey redress into her plum-coloured jacket.

"I'll be fine, Admiral, but I would like you to check on my husband." She motioned toward Jed, who had initially insisted on her examination.

"He's my next port of call, ma'am." Admiral Hackett reassured. To his relief, the President had already started to roll his sleeves beyond the elbow. Usually, it was a battle destined to be lost, whenever their Commander-in-Chief required a physical. Evidently, the circumstances had left him rather contrite toward the protocol.

As he started to quiz the President, Abbey drifted her attention to the television, where pictures of Zoey flashed upon the screen. That cheery smile lit up the room, even from inside a television, and Abbey pressed one hand to her stomach. How she ached for the days when she could protect her children and shield them from any harm. "Ma'am, would you like some water?" Amy approached her and attempted to make herself useful to a woman she admired and respected, but had yet to properly bond with.

Abbey flashed the brunette a thankful smile but shook her head. "Why don't you check in with C.J.? I'm sure she could use your help." Already, Zoey's disappearance had become a media circus and the pressure would only rise for them all. As instructed, Amy left the room and Abbey watched, as Jed patiently answered the questions posed by Admiral Hackett. She prayed that whatever happened, his health would not deteriorate but extensive stress would only exacerbate his condition. Her eyes fell upon a rare family picture of herself, Jed and their three children that coloured the screen. "Come on, Zoey," she whispered, underneath her breath, "Come home."


	5. Sacrificial Lamb

**Hour 2**

The crack in the man's voice threatened Jed's own composure. Thank God, he made these kind of calls in private. Rarely, if ever, had he welled up, while on the phone to the relatives of a deceased but it was the first time that the deceased had been shot dead in an attempt to hurt his own child.

"Molly was an incredibly brave woman, Mr. O'Connor." There was little more he could say, little comfort he could offer. What did it matter to the man that he and Abbey would be forever indebted to him and his wife? The loss of a child was an inconsolable one. Soon, her name would be released to the press but her heroic act would be quickly overshadowed by the public concern for what had happened to Zoey, purely because of who her father was. If it had kept Zoey safe from harm, Jed would have rather been invisible to the world. "Her sacrifice is one Abbey and I will be eternally thankful for." They could only hope Molly's sacrifice had not been in vain. "Your family will be in our prayers, always." He listened, in a robotic kind of state, as the recipient of his call accepted his condolences and prayed he and Abbey would not suffer a similar fate as Molly's parents.

The other stricken father ended the call and Jed held the phone to his ear until the line went dead. "Mr. President." Jed paid little attention to the arrival of his personal aide. In spite of his personal relationship with Zoey, Charlie had remained fairly level-headed and Jed was relieved for that much. "Sir." Charlie prompted further and Jed replaced the phone on its hook, before he looked in his direction and steeled himself for whatever news Charlie had been sent to deliver.

Initially, he suspected only Leo or Ron could have information about Zoey's whereabouts but his expression said otherwise. "What is it?"

"The blood tests are back. Ron Butterfield has the results down in the Oval." Charlie reported, and Jed felt his inner body clench; the only way anybody could have stolen Zoey away quite so effectively was if some form of intoxication had been deployed and the idea of her at risk like that ate away at him. "And Donna found a ransom note delivered to the Whitehouse."


	6. Mother America

**Hour 4**

C.J. was a woman of many words. It was her job, and she did her job well. But what did you say to a woman whose child has been abducted? Except, this wasn't just any woman. Abbey Bartlet wasn't just any other mother and the realisation of what that meant had crushed the First Lady to her mortal soul.

"Did you call for the doctor?" She asked Amy, who dawdled in the doorway of her office.

The brunette nodded her head, with a brief check to her watch; it had only been five minutes since she made the call but Abbey had become more and more agitated, in the wake of her attempt to brief the press and directly appeal the abductors. Donna brushed past Amy, a plastic cup of water in her hand, which she offered to Abbey. "Here, ma'am." The sincerity in her wide doe-eyes warmed Abbey's heart; in the midst of every Whitehouse mayhem, Donna proved her loyalty without falter.

C.J. brushed her hand up and down Abbey's back, in an attempt to soothe her but Abbey felt plenty foolish. She had known, deep in her heart, that the press was off-limits but the ransom note had been the straw that broke her. The photocopy was fuzzy but Abbey knew her baby well; the picture was of Zoey and, perhaps it had been her own imagination run wild, and the fear seemed to radiate from it. The three women in the room watched her with caution and Abbey bowed her head, shattered. "I'm sorry." It occurred to her how utterly useless she was. She had no power or sense of control. "I should have known better."

"Don't be silly, Abbey." C.J. curled her arm around Abbey's shoulder and squeezed hard. Her career had taken precedence over family but C.J. was aware of just how much mothers cherished their children, more importantly, she had been an eyewitness to the love the First Lady had for Zoey.

"Mrs. Bartlet." Admiral Hackett appeared, his serene expression hinted a tone of 'I-told-you-so' and Abbey exhaled heavily. At this point, it made little difference whether she was conscious or not, and, frankly, the escape of sedation appealed to her.


	7. The Circle of Life

**Hour 6**

"I don't know what else to do," Jed confessed, irrespective of the fact that his admission fell on deaf ears. The rise and fall of his wife's chest and her heavy breaths indicated the deep sleep she had succumbed to, aided by the sedative Admiral Hackett had earlier administered. He was relieved she had allowed herself to rest. It had only been 6 hours and already Zoey's disappearance had taken an evident toll on her.

A narrow stream of illumination broke the darkness of the room and Jed discovered Leo in the half-open doorway, "Mr. President." He muttered, careful not to disturb the unconscious body in the room. Cautiously, he entered and stood at the foot of the bed. He was one of the eldest, and dearest, friends to the Bartlet family but this was the first time he had ever wished otherwise. "Members of the Cabinet are on their way, as is the Speaker of the House." He didn't like the decision Jed had made and he could already anticipate the hysteria it would create for the Whitehouse senior staff but he would stand by his President and best friend.

"Thank you, Leo." Without Abbey's counsel, Leo was the only other person Jed counted on for sound advice. He wasn't afraid to admit that the days events had left him shaken and he didn't trust his own instinct. His frame of mind was simply not fit for presidency. First and foremost, he was a father.

"I'll send Charlie to find you once they've assembled." Leo assured, still mentally unprepared for the chaos a man like Glenn Walken would unleash in the Whitehouse. "Oh…" Before he reached the doorway, Leo retraced his steps and paused. When words failed, Jed looked toward Leo for an explanation and he flashed a sympathetic smile. It didn't feel fair to announce the safe arrival of two new lives into the world when the man's own child was lost to him. "Toby's twins were born. Girl and a boy. The little boy is called Huck."

"Huck." At such a solemn time, both men refrained from any quips but Jed made a mental note to question the how lucid Andrea was when she named Toby's son. "I like that."

"I do, too, sir." Leo conceded, with a nod of his head.

Jed smiled, as Leo departed the room, and repeated the name to himself. "Huck." While Abbey slept, his palms enveloped her left hand and a sense of dread overwhelmed him. As one soul departed, another promptly entered; that was the circle of life. He could only pray Zoey hadn't left them yet.


	8. The Second Book of Kings

**Hour 8**

"Of course. You'll be my first call. I love you, too."

The brush of her hand upon his shoulder caused Jed's head to snap suddenly, his mind consumed with visions of Zoey. He instantly relaxed back into her touch and she rejoined him on the sofa. The phone had been a constant distraction, the many relatives and friends, or just well-wishers for Zoey's safe return had to convey their deepest sympathies. The way they talked, Abbey started to fear that Zoey would be lost to them forever. "Was that your mother?"

"Yeah." Abbey confirmed, her arm draped across his waist and her head buried in the crook of his shoulder. "She and dad wanted to fly out but I asked them not to." It may have seemed ridiculous but had her parents arrived, Abbey felt she would only crumble and, at such a crucial point, her family needed a rock. Besides, Elizabeth, the kids, and Ellie would arrive soon and they would provide all the consolation she needed. She quickly noticed how preoccupied her husband appeared and studied the blips of information that flashed upon the screen, curtesy of CNN, whose presenter had started a public debate as to whether Zoey Bartlet had spiralled into drug addiction. "Jed, why don't you turn that off?"

He exhaled heavily, his infuriation at the assumption a clear cross for him to bear. Since he had invoked the twenty-fifth amendment, aside from the rare minutes Leo could spare to visit him in the residence, the media was the only way he could keep himself updated on the situation. "Zoey would never touch that filth," he huffed, in contradiction of the reporter who had detailed a supposed eye-witness account. In the four years of his first Presidency, and in the years before that, Zoey had never stepped a foot out of line. She had been determined to make him proud, she had been that way since childhood, and she was far too level-headed to allow herself to become mixed up in that kind of world. He resented the media's attempt to persecute her. It was a manipulative play, of course, in the hopes that C.J. would release some new information to them but, even so, it tested his patience.

"It's only upsetting you," Abbey warned him, as she reached for the blanket and layered it evenly across both their bodies. She had become accustomed to the media interference in their family and had developed the ability to shun the accusatory surveillance to the back of her mind. She reached for the Latin Vulgate Bible on the table in front of them. In his darkest hours, Jed reverted to his faith. "Why don't you read to me?"

His smile weary, Jed muted the screen and reached for the glasses inside his shirt pocket. Effortlessly, he translated a passage from The Second Book of Kings out of the old testament. "And the king said to Chusai 'Is the young man, Absalom, safe?' and Chusai, answering him, said 'Let the enemies of my lord, the king, and all that rise against him unto evil be as the young man is'. The king, therefore, being much moved, went up to the high chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he spoke in this manner 'My son, Absalom, Absalom, my son. Would to God that I might die for thee, Absalom, my son, my son, Absalom.' And it was told that the king wept and mourned for his son, and the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people, for the people heard say that day; the king grieveth for his son."


	9. Bartlet's Divided

**Hour 13**

"Dad." Elizabeth's voice became more persistent, while her father failed to respond, almost as if he couldn't hear her. More like he wouldn't hear her. "Did mom know?" Deep down, Elizabeth already knew the answer but she needed to be certain, before all hell broke loose in the Bartlet residence. The revelation turned the entire situation on its head; if Zoey's abduction was a show of retaliation for the murder of Abdul Shareef, then it was extremely unlikely her little sister would ever return home alive. "Dad."

Her sharp tone distorted his sullen mood further and Jed erupted, "No, damn it." The answer was obvious to all and Elizabeth's accusatory tone rattled him. "What do you want from me, Elizabeth?" If she wanted to blame him, fine. He blamed himself, too. The audible cries of his wife could be heard from another room and it was all Jed could do to block them out.

Elizabeth stood tall, as her father jumped to his feet and started to pace behind the chair he had previously sunk into. Of all the Bartlet children, Elizabeth was the least afraid to confront her father and whatever tactic he used, whether it be a raised voice or clenched fist, she remained unfazed. "I want you to explain to me how you could let this happen. You ordered the murder of a very powerful man. Did you honestly believe that there wouldn't be some form of retaliation for that?" Elizabeth had maintained a level of reluctant acceptance as to the public spectacle her family had become but it didn't make the reality much easier. Her husband had been attacked by the media, and the doll with a knife stuck in its throat had been one of many cruel parcels Annie had received but never before had their physical safety been under such imminent threat.

"What happened with Shareef was a matter of national security, Elizabeth." Jed sternly reprimanded his eldest, noted by the use of her full name. "I do not have the clearance to confer with your mother on every decision I make as **the President of the United States**!" His voice elevated, as he bellowed the title he had temporarily rebuked. What had upset him most of all was the blasé nature in which Walken defended the assassination; Glenn Walken was a pompous man, unlike Jed in many ways. The decision to murder a suspected terrorist may have sat well with him but it had rested heavy on Jed's conscience.

"Why should you with Leo at hand?" Elizabeth mocked the man that had become somewhat of a third wheel to her mother and father. Much as she loved him, Elizabeth disliked his infiltration of the Bartlet family and the residual effect of distance between her parents. Her father was not a violent man. She could count on one hand the amount of times she had witnessed him lose his temper. For him to have ordered an assassination seemed so out of character and so removed from the man that had raised her. It was most like Leo, though. "You shut mom out." Her parents' relationship had always thrived on communication; they were a team. She had a dreaded vision that, if Zoey were never to return, that team would be broken forever. Her disappointment cut into his chest like a knife. She was his first-born, the baby that terrified him with every new movement or sound. In the years that Abbey studiously invested into medical school, Jed had acted as the primary parent; as a result, he and Elizabeth were bonded like no other. The only time their relationship had suffered was in the nine months prior to Annie's arrival into the world and Elizabeth had held the same look of disappointment toward him then, too. He was fortunate that then they had reached a natural resolution; the moment Jed held baby Annie in his arms for the first time, the silent treatment ceased. Reconciliation wouldn't be that easy for him and Abbey, unless Zoey returned.

"I did what I had to do," Jed muttered pitifully, his eyes lowered to the floor.

Elizabeth flashed her father a sympathetic look, still her eyes filled with a reassurance that her love for him remained. "I should check on mom."


	10. The Man in the Sky

**Hour 16**

A cup of tea in her hand, Elizabeth watched from afar as her mother brushed the mass of blonde curls Annie had acquired. It had been years since independent little Annie had allowed anyone to style her hair but, at sixteen years old, she was incredibly intellectual and somehow understood that her presence in the Whitehouse was the closest Abbey could feel to Zoey. They had been born only seven years apart and had often been mistaken for sisters in early childhood.

"Grandma, do you still believe in God?" The abrupt announcement that the Bartlet family had been invited to a private mass at St. Joseph's had peaked her interest.

Abbey contained her smirk, as she noted how Annie had postponed the question until Gus had distracted her mother with a detailed, if not long-winded, explanation of how he had spent the hours of his day behind the walls of the Whitehouse. "What makes you ask that?" Like her children, Annie and Gus had been introduced to the Roman Catholic faith and it had been a pretty well accepted fact that each and every member of the family believed in God and were invested in the faith.

Annie hunched her shoulders and curled her mouth to one side. "Because I don't think I do." This confession came as little surprise to Abbey, who had always sensed the skepticism Annie held toward the 'man in the sky' as she had once termed him. Her reluctance to conform to the family-faith had both bewildered and enticed Jed, who made his best effort to ensure Annie became a believer. "If God is supposed to protect the world, why didn't he protect Zoey?" It was a standard question, not entirely unexpected from a child in the midst of crisis. "She believed in God," Annie pointed out, before she frowned, in deep contemplation. "God isn't real. If he was, Zoey would be here still."

Abbey swallowed the lump in her throat, in her best attempt not to balk at the fact that Annie had spoken of Zoey in past tense. It was difficult to hear the media speculate on the kind of treatment Zoey may have received, the mentions of possible sexual assault, or whether she was even still alive but none of her family had dared to voice such questions aloud, at least, not in her presence. Still, she smiled; she had always adored the unfiltered mouths of children. Instead of entering into the debate which seemed rather rhetorical, Abbey lowered the brush in her hand and smoothed over the full head of blonde hair. "Pretty as a picture." The teen adorned herself in the compliment and planted a tender kiss on Abbey's cheek. "Will you sit with me in church?" She may have been young but Annie radiated a resilience that comforted Abbey, in a way that neither Elizabeth or Ellie had been able to.

"Only if I can sit beside Grandpa too," the blonde countered, far more intuitive than any member of her family credited her for. Like her mother and aunt, Annie had noticed how Jed and Abbey appeared to have divided the residence in their attempt to avoid one another. It was difficult not too, since the couple were ordinarily so affectionate with each other.

Abbey nodded her head, inwardly relieved of the excuse that had presented itself to establish a physical distance from her husband. "I'm sure he would like that."


	11. Great Expectations

**Hour 18**

Ellie restlessly tossed and turned, before she relinquished any hope of sleep and decided to wander the residence. She had privately toured the various rooms within it, in efforts to occupy herself whenever she visited and her father was preoccupied with presidential matters, so much so that Ellie almost felt at home. As she wandered in the direction of the kitchen, she noted the dim light that beamed from the Yellow Oval Room. Her instinct drew her into the room, "Dad?" Her father was slumped haphazardly in his favoured chair and the tie she had earlier corrected for him had been loosened from his neck.

A half-empty bottle of Scotch sat on the table beside him and Jed wearily looked toward her. "Did you see Annie and Gus with your mother?" The vision of his wife and the two smaller bodies huddled in the bed had warmed his heart but it was also validation that Abbey didn't desire the comfort of his body beside hers.

Ellie nodded her head; the day had exhausted them all. "You look tired. You should try to rest." Since her parents were at odds, Ellie had taken the initiative to instil his condition at the forefront of her mind. "Dad…" He avoided her eyes wide with concern and strolled out onto the Truman Balcony, an unlit smoke in his hand. She followed him, silently stood as her father admired the Washington Monument, glowing proudly in the distance.

"Did you know it was in that room that Franklin D. Roosevelt learned of the attack on Pearl Harbor?" Jed motioned to the doorway of the room they had exited from.

She shook her head, continually astonished by the endless reel of knowledge her father had acquired and how much he depended on it. "No, but did you know that the Monument stands at 554 feet and nearly 8 inches?" She attempted to mirror him with a reference of her own. Jed smiled, his first since Zoey had been abducted. They both leaned forward on the rails of the balcony and surveyed the obelisk, which had been constructed to commemorate the first President, and stood east of the Lincoln Memorial. "Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt… they must be hard shoes to fill." Both of her parents had always seemed to thrive on pressure and expectation, very unlike herself, but Ellie had recently discovered another side to her father. Guilt had eaten away at him, as his decision to have Abdul Shareef assassinated came into play in the media and he resembled a lost child. "One bad decision doesn't counteract all the good you've done." Had he consulted with Abbey, Ellie suspected, the situation would never have escalated quite so far but hindsight had always been twenty-twenty. "I am still proud of you, dad, and mom will always love you."

Jed's eyes darkened with the threat of tears and he lowered his head. "I'm scared, Eleanor."

Her body stiffened, at three words that she had never before heard her father speak. His face became contorted, as he battled to contain the emotion, and Ellie curled her arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. "I am, too," she confessed. On the drive to St. Joseph's, just hours earlier, the motorcade had bypassed the public shrine that had been created outside the Whitehouse in Zoey's honour and the possibility of her sister's death occurred to her. She wasn't sure even the Bartlet family could come back from that.


	12. The Games We Play

**Hour 30**

"The mission was successful. They're on their way back, as we speak." Leo concluded his report of the strike Walken had ordered upon Kazir terrorist camps. "C.J. is about to brief the press." He could barely look Jed in the eye when he talked; the attack rendered the possibility that Zoey be harmed further but, in recent hours, Leo had started to doubt that the baby Bartlet would ever return home safe and sound. "I should check in with her."

As Leo swiftly departed, Jed noted the shadow that lurked in the doorway and peered around it. "Didn't your mother ever teach you it's rude to eavesdrop?" Annie rolled her eyes and Jed motioned that she had permission to enter the room. "Where is your mother?" He had noticed the residence had been decidedly peaceful for quite some time, which wouldn't have been unusual under the circumstances, but Gus had rebelled in the form of toddler-like tantrums ever since he had arrived. It was unfortunate that the small child didn't quite appreciate the strain that surrounded him but he did provide a sense of normality for them all.

"She went to sit with Grandma." Annie replied. The teen let her eyes wander the room and immediately noted one of the beloved chess sets Jed was the proud owner of. "Can we play?" The boredom of life in the Whitehouse had started to eat away at her bit by bit. Her communication with the outside world was severely limited, which was comparably worse than the slowest of all deaths for an adolescent.

His mind flashed to his aid, who had probably not dared step foot from the residence and had refused to serve under the Walken administration. "Charlie and I were in the middle of a game but I don't think he would mind if you subbed for him. As long as you don't mind that you're off to losing start?" He warned, as he seated himself at one end of the wooden board; many times he had purposely disrupted the schedule for an hour of play, sometimes simply to jeopardise whatever date Charlie and Zoey had planned. She confidently shook her head and Jed motioned toward the few black pieces that decorated the board, "Your move first."

In deep contemplation of the selection, Annie surveyed the board, "In history class, we studied Dr. Martin Luther King." A pause fell between them, and Annie ensured she still had her grandfather's attention. "He said that the ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Returning violence with violence only multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars." The quote was one Jed had contemplated many times but words physically spoken by Annie seemed to resonate with him further. A newfound silence fell between them, sound only made by the movement of pieces across the board, back and forth until Annie reached for her queen. "I think, when I'm older, I would like to work in international relations." While Liz had done her very best to shelter her children from the reality of what had happened, Annie was far too perceptive not to understand the tense relations between America and the middle east.

Jed smiled, in approval of the idea. "I think that's a fine idea." The family crisis, which had also naturally evolved into one of national outcry, had a profound effect on her and her vision of the world. Even as a small child, Annie had been the perfect diplomat and her natural charisma was what Jed proudly declared her to be far more Bartlet than Westin, in her blood.

She slid her queen five squares forward and smiled slyly, "Checkmate."


	13. Waiting Game

**Hour 39**

Ellie peered over her copy of Vanity Fair and noticed that her eldest sister was seconds from eruption. Three, two, one…

"Mom, we need to talk." Liz instructed, on perfect cue and Ellie tossed aside an article that documented the rise of Hollywood's hottest starlets. "Whatever's happened has happened. It's in the past. Dad doesn't deserve the cold shoulder from you." Husband and wife hadn't shared so much as eye contact since Walken's admission of Sharif's assassination and it left Jed bitterly isolated from the ones he loved; it created a divide in the family and Liz was wary of future consequences.

Like a scolded child, Abbey casted her eyes downward, in avoidance of Liz's plea. Her lips pressed into one another and Ellie sensed her irritation but cut in to support her sister. "Dad blames himself, mom." She played the only card she hoped her mother would respond to. "I'm worried. The stress could be detrimental to his condition."

"Your father is perfectly capable of self-preservation." Abbey dismissed Ellie's concern for Jed's health. She knew her husband well. He wouldn't dare jeopardise his health, for fear that it would deflect from Zoey and he would remain physically fit to fly out at a moment's notice and ensure her safe return. "Besides, he's under constant supervision from Admiral Hackett and his medical team." A book in hand, Abbey continued to avoid Liz and Ellie's wide-eyed expressions, in attempt to conclude the line of conversation.

"He needs you, mom." Liz pursued her mother further. "You need each other. If the worst should happen -"

"Like what, exactly?" Her mother's head snapped upward, a look of defiance and denial in her eyes. Their best hope was that no one in the world would dare harm Zoey, for surely, if she were to return to the Whitehouse with so much as a scratch, it would be war.

Liz looked toward her sister for back-up and Ellie crossed one knee over the other in an attempt to mediate the conversation. "Mom, when Zoey returns, it won't be easy for her. I don't think any of us have any illusions about the kind of emotional trauma the whole experience will have caused her." Liz wandered toward the window and closed her eyes, with an exhale of sadness, while Abbey appeared somewhat subdued from her previous stance. "She will need all of us to lean on. Most importantly, she'll need a safe environment to call home. That means you and dad, a partnership." Abbey conceded Ellie's point and nodded her head. Very little had ever divided Jed and Abbey in their relationship. Even at the hardest of times, they remained united. That sense of loyalty was a Bartlet trait.

"I spoke to Ron Butterfield earlier." Liz scooched beside her mother and Ellie perched the opposite side to embrace their mother. "He seems to think that the next few hours will be crucial. He didn't say much but he seemed hopeful. For all we know, Zoey could be home in a matter of hours."


	14. The Other Letter

**Hour 50**

Abbey wandered the perimeter of the Rose Garden, her secret service detail no less than five feet behind. She appreciated the need for cautionary measures but their constant presence had always suffocated her. She was an independent soul, more so than any other member of her family, and she disliked the sense of parental-like control. The same could be said for how Elizabeth and Ellie had hovered over her, as if she were about to irreparably fall apart any second. The air cleansed her soul, refreshed her frame of mind, but the positivity drained from her when she noted the body hunched over on the bench. His head was in his hands and the dark sky did little to help identification but Abbey had known those broad shoulders for quite some time. She briefly turned back, to limit the two men that had trailed her walk, and approached him in private, "Jed."

Her husband sniffed away the tears and cleared his throat of the cry that choked him. His bloodshot eyes widened in surprise that she had struck conversation with him, after the extensive measures she had taken to avoid him since the reveal of Shareef's assassination. "Abbey."

"I needed some air." The Whitehouse had become toxic but, as much as she desired to return home to the farm, she had remain where she could be updated as soon as possible. It didn't help that every news channel seemed to exploit home video of Zoey in her childhood, before they flashed to the fuzzy footage of Zoey semi-conscious with a newspaper in her hand. "What's that?" She raised her brow, in motion to the yellow piece of paper in Jed's hand.

He rapidly scrunched the paper and attempted to shove it into his pocket, with a careless shake of his head. "Doesn't matter."

The way he avoided her eye let Abbey know that was far from the truth. "Jed." She sternly called his name and sat beside him, ready to reach for the paper herself. "What is it?" He made a pathetic attempt to stop her but had no desire to physically engage with his wife and Abbey swiped the paper from his pocket. Her eyes rested on the same words that had jolted Jed from the half-world of hell he had been stuck in. _The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away._ It became clear to Abbey exactly what the written words meant.

"Abbey." Jed softly pleaded, while her eyes danced across the penmanship she failed to identify firsthand. As he himself had read the 'other letter' that Toby had expressly denied existed, Jed had finally been forced to accept the very real possibility that Zoey may return home but it would be with the fifty American stars and thirteen stripes draped over her casket. With that vision in mind, he had wept. It was the first time he had allowed himself to release the ocean of tears he had suppressed, since Zoey had been stolen from them. He could sense the same hopelessness rise in Abbey, that the speech had struck a chord with her and left the realisation that there may not be a happy end.

Various emotions appeared to dance over her features, like the reel of a film, from fury to sadness and Jed reached his hand forward toward her. Instead of her body curled into him, she slammed the paper back into his chest with a volatile thump. Her body felt ready to implode but before she could verbally bite back, hastened footsteps broke the silence and Leo hurried around the corner with his own secret service detail in hot pursuit. It was a similar journey to the one he had made fifty hours earlier but with much happier news. "Mr. President." Breathless, Leo cracked a wide smile once Jed stood to attention, "We got her." Jed felt his mouth dry, the wave of relief wash over him and he looked at Abbey, who reciprocated the emotion. Their hands joined, desperate to reach Zoey, as soon as possible.


	15. The Happy Ending

**Hour 55**

Five hours after Jed's speech, in celebration of Zoey's safe return, Abbey stood at the same window and looked out at the empty streets beyond the National Naval Medical Center, where the doctors had requested Zoey remain for further observation. It was routine, apparently. As much as Abbey would have preferred Zoey return home to her own bed, even she couldn't deny that the hospital was as secure as the Whitehouse itself. Especially, with the first family in residence. While Zoey slept soundly, for the first time since her abduction, Jed had also finally succumbed to slumber in the cushioned chair beside the hospital bed that seemed to fit him perfectly.

Zoey's eyes blinked open and adjusted to the darkness of the hospital room. In the space of hours, she had been heroically rescued from a fate unspeakable but, for a moment, Zoey wondered if her escape had been none other than a hopeful dream. Carefully, she scanned the room and the blurred vision of her mother came into focus. "Mom."

The weak voice abruptly jolted Abbey, as she relived the horrors of the previous 48 hours, and she circled the hospital bed to reach for Zoey's touch. "Hey, baby. How do you feel?"

Reminded of sick days from school in her childhood, when her mother would play doctor and fuss over her, Zoey forced a smile as best she could. "Good. Glad to be back." Aside from a few bumps and bruises, Zoey appeared to be in perfect health. Physically, at least. "Did Liz and Ellie leave already?"

Her mother nodded her head softly, in confirmation. "Liz had to put the kids to bed and I sent Ellie home. Your dad and I will stay until you're released."

Zoey followed the motion of her mother's head to the corner of the room, where her father slept in what looked like an uncomfortable position. She snorted, her eyes rolled humorously at the vision of her father. "And he tries to pretend like he doesn't snore when he sleeps." Abbey's nose wrinkled in amusement; Jed would deny the playful accusation until the day he died, she was certain of it. "You should try to rest, too." Abbey submissively nodded, even if sleep seemed entirely improbable. Perhaps it was her peaked adrenaline or the fact that she had slept thanks to the sedatives, but Abbey had remained restless. Most of all, she didn't want to tear her eyes away from Zoey for more than a second.

"I will, promise. You first." She squeezed Zoey's hand, an indication that she fall back to sleep, which she happily did. After a few minutes, Abbey abandoned Zoey's side and quietly wandered toward her husband. It had been her mission to avoid him, any way she could, but now Abbey found herself conflicted. Her mind confirmed that Jed wasn't responsible for what had happened but her heart simply couldn't compute that information. The resentment ran too deep, almost as if out of her conscious control. No doubt, she still loved him and always would. What she questioned now was her trust in him; not Jed Bartlet, the husband, but President Bartlet, world leader. They used to be one in the same but, at some point or another, he split into two and Abbey wondered whether he could be fixed. The back of her hand softly caressed his cheek and Abbey admired how vulnerable he looked whilst asleep, like he carried the world upon his shoulders and, for the past couple days, he had.

"Abbey." The deep rumble of her name from his lips spooked her, as his eyes remained closed.

Instinctively, she reached for one of the blankets deposited by the nurse for herself and Jed. "Ssshh." The huskiness of his voice was just one indication of how exhausted the ordeal had rendered him. She draped the fabric across his body to retain his warmth, one hand caressed his cheek and she bent down to plant a kiss upon his forehead. _For better, or for worse. In sickness and in health._ Her vows ricocheted in her head and Abbey exhaled, heavily. They had survived too much already, braved one too many hurricanes for her to walk away from him now. No, Abbey silently concluded, it was far from over between them.


End file.
